dairy cow

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: McCarthy B., Dineen M., Guy C., Coughlan F. and Gilliland T.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
An experiment to investigate the impact of tetraploid and diploid perennial ryegrass swards sown with and without white clover on the productivity of spring milk production systems was established in 2012 (75%) and 2013 (25%). Four separate grazing treatments/swards were sown for the experiment: tetraploid only, diploid only, tetraploid with clover and diploid with clover. Eight cultivars (four diploid: Tyrella, Aberchoice, Glenveagh and Drumbo; four tetraploid: Aston Energy, Kintyre, Twymax and Dunluce) were sown as monocultures with and without clover. Thirty cows were allocated to each treatment after calving in February 2014. All treatments were stocked at 2.75 cows ha‑1 and received 250 kg of nitrogen fertiliser ha‑1. There was no difference in milk or milk solids yield between the tetraploid-only (4,895 and 414 kg cow‑1, respectively) and diploid-only (4,848 and 403 kg cow‑1, respectively) swards. However, incorporating clover resulted in 13.3% greater milk yield and 13.4% greater milk solids yield (5,532 and 464 kg cow‑1, respectively, and 5,506 and 462 kg cow‑1, respectively, for the tetraploid with clover and diploid with clover treatments, respectively). Pasture dry matter (DM) production was 16.8% greater on the grass-clover swards (17,400 kg DM ha‑1) compared to the grass-only swards (14,900 kg DM ha‑1).

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Lamminen M., Kokkonen T., Halmemies-Beauchet-Filleau A., Termonen T., Vanhatalo A. and Jaakkola S.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Grain legumes are an interesting alternative to grass as cattle forage owing to their nitrogen fixing ability and high biomass production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of grass silage and faba bean-spring wheat (Vicia faba – Triticum aestivum) whole-crop silage (FB) on feed intake, nutrient utilization and milk production of dairy cows. Eight multiparous Finnish Ayrshire cows averaging 100 d in milk and producing 45 kg d‑1 milk were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square study. Experimental treatments consisted of timothy-meadow fescue (Phleum pratense – Festuca pratensis) silage (GS) and a mixture of GS and FB (1:1 on a dry matter (DM) basis). Both forages were fed ad libitum and supplemented with 13 kg d‑1 of concentrate containing 2.0 or 3.5 kg rape seed meal (RSM). The crude protein content of the concentrate was 175 or 200 g kg‑1 DM, respectively. Replacing half of the GS with FB maintained silage DM intake and milk yield despite the lower digestibility of FB silage. Increasing RSM in the diet had no effect on milk yield but significantly decreased milk fat concentration with both forages.